Baycol Recall Information

The Baycol
recall of August 2001 affected the over 6 million people worldwide
that were taking the cholesterol-lowering drug. Bayer, Baycol’s
manufacturer was criticized for allowing patients to continue
using the cholesterol drug for such an extended amount of time
despite the increased risk of fatality due to the condition
rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue causing renal
failure and liver damage. The company has claimed the Baycol
recall was issued because doctors were not using the drug as
directed by Baycol labeling.

Although
Baycol belonged to the most widely prescribed drug class called
statins, which was linked to instances of rhabdomyolysis, Baycol
was considered a significantly greater risk of death occurring
because of rhabdomyolysis. Bayer has since been left defending
itself since the 2001 Baycol recall but once again can be found
making Baycol lawsuit news. At the time of the Baycol recall,
Baycol was linked to over 50 Baycol deaths worldwide, however
since then the number has risen to over 100 Baycol deaths,
in addition to 1,600 injuries worldwide. For more information
on the Baycol lawsuit news, please contact
us to confer with a Baycol lawyer.

Internal
Bayer Baycol Documents Revealed at First
Baycol Lawsuit Trial
In the first of the 7,800 Baycol lawsuits waiting to go to trial, the highly
publicized and scrutinized Baycol trial taking place in Texas has exposed
evidence of internal company documents showing top Bayer executives became
increasingly more alarmed at the occurrence of the deadly Baycol side effect
rhabdomyolysis that was found to occur at a rate much higher than with
other statin drugs. If you have taken Baycol and are suffering or have
suffered Baycol side effects including rhabdomyolysis, please contact us
to confer with a Baycol lawyer.

“We
need to do everything possible to maximize sales results
since Baycol must carry the company for the short and
long haul.”-May 1998 email from
Bayer executive“The
steadily increasing numbers
of spontaneous reports
of rhabdomyolysis associated
with Baycol...has overwhelmed
the available safety resources.”-December 1999 report“Some
are scared to uncover such
data (bad data) because
of launch of 0.8 mg. If
FDA asks for bad news,
we have to give, but if
we don’t have it,
then we can’t give
it to them.”-January 2000 meeting
agenda, unidentified Bayer
executive wrote“I
am concerned that there
is widespread knowledge
in the field with both
Bayer and SB representatives
that there have been some
death related to Baycol.”-February 2000 email
from Bayer executive“There
has been a substantial
increase in calls from
our sales representatives
and opinion leaders requesting
that scientific affairs
liaisons talk to physicians
who had cases of rhabdomyolysis.”-June 2000, Bayer executive“There
will be much more tremendous
trouble in the future.”-Bayer marketing partner
in Japan urging the company
halt clinical trials of
higher doses of Baycol
viewed to help increase
sales, in July 2000, Bayer
received approval to sell
a higher dose of Baycol“So
much for keeping this quiet.”-February 2000, email
from Patricia Stenger,
manager in Bayer’s
scientific affairs unit
to other executives. Allegedly
top Bayer executives told
sales staff to “redouble
our efforts, we’re
going to make this a billion-dollar
drug.”-March 2000

Stenger
wrote a June 2000 email with an attached document saying
that doctors reporting Baycol side effects were hearing
of similar cases with other patients and stated they “appear
to be more angry and concerned and feel that Bayer
is hiding information.”

Bayer said the Baycol Recall was decided after it received reports
that the drug caused deterioration in muscle tissue, a condition
called rhabdomyolysis, which is known to cause severe pain and
potential kidney failure.

A CNN Europe
article from August the 13th, 2001. LONDON (CNN)
-- Germany's Bayer said on Monday 52 people are thought to
have died after taking the anti-cholesterol product Baycol,
its fastest-growing drug.

Bayer's Baycol cholesterol drug was recalled in August 2001 and is now linked to over 100 deaths. The company has so far paid $842 million to settle 2,224 cases but still faces 9,948 more Baycol cases. Now the company is facing a class action in Pennsylvania that would force Bayer to pay for monitoring the effects of former Baycol patients. While the certification ruling is just the first step in a possible Baycol class action trial, Bayer appears to be facing many more battles over its recalled drug in the future.